When the iPad mini 7 reaches customers on Wednesday morning, they should expect to update to iPadOS 18.0.1 as part of setting up the tablet.
This update removes bugs in the operating system and became available for other iPad models several weeks ago.
A new rumor suggests Apple’s redesigned Mac mini with M4 chip might launch as soon as this week.
Apple has several M4-powered Macs in the pipeline, including the M4 iMac and MacBook Pros. They are all expected to debut by the end of October.
The Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad are the only accessories in Apple’s lineup that use a Lightning connector. But that seemingly won’t be the case for long.
The latest macOS Sequoia 15.1 RC contains references to Apple updating its Magic lineup of Mac accessories, possibly with USB-C.
Disney+ no longer accepts user subscriptions through the App Store. This change also applies to Hulu. Instead, Disney and Hulu redirect users to their respective websites to sign up for a subscription.
The move is about commission fees, not technology.
Apple gave developers access to the release candidates of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 on Monday. This is the last round of testing before introducing them to the public, which means Apple Intelligence will finally launch in about a week.
Release candidates for tvOS 18.1 and visionOS 2.1 also went out. However, watchOS 11.1 RC is not yet available.
You can encapsulate Apple’s approach to innovation in four words, according to a new profile of CEO Tim Cook: “Not first, but best.” It’s not a new sentiment, but Cook doubles down on it in a long magazine article that came out over the weekend, complete with interesting tidbits about his life and his journey with Apple, past and present.
And in a colorful side note: The man apparently loves Diet Mountain Dew. And yet Apple Park doesn’t stock it, so he doesn’t get to drink it as much as he used to. (Theory: Cook banned it himself in an act of self-discipline.)
Apple gave reviewers early access to a soon-to-be-released software update that allows AirPods Pro 2 to go beyond providing entertainment to become hearing aids. They report that the wireless earbuds really do help people with mild to moderate hearing loss.
There’s also a huge cost advantage, but there are limitations that keep AirPods from being the right solution for everyone.
Apple could unveil a pair of hotly anticipated upgrades for its consumer-oriented desktops this week. The Mac mini and iMac are both likely to get enhanced with the powerful M4 processor, plus there’s supposedly a major design change coming to the mini.
Here’s what rumors reveal about these two.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: iPad mini 7! But does this mean Apple canceled its October Mac event? And if so, are updated M4 Macs still coming this year?
Also on The CultCast, we discuss a “Cheaper” Vision headset, what Steve Ballmer is up to, plus Apple’s smart home strategy.
Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.
Apple’s AI efforts are significantly behind Google, Meta, and OpenAI. Reportedly, some inside the company believe it is “more than two years behind the industry leaders.”
Apple previewed Apple Intelligence at WWDC 24. However, the public will only get a taste of its AI efforts when iOS 18.1 drops later this month.
Apple’s rumored iPhone 17 Air for 2025 could use a new A19 chip and a single rear camera. It would seemingly sport an all-new, slimmer design.
Rumors suggest Apple will shake up its iPhone 17 lineup next year, ditching the Plus model in favor of this “Air” model.
Multi-device chargers for iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch come and go, but Journey just rolled one out that really catches the eye: the Journey Nova 3-in-1 Fast Charging Station. It’s available for preorder now.
“Our designers envisaged an anti-tech aesthetic for Nova,” said a Journey spokesperson. “The exterior complements decors much like a vase, chair or pot plant might.”
A pot plant, they say! Well, that is a good aesthetic model to emulate, although it being on the “anti-tech” side seems debatable.
Two new external monitors BenQ showcased this week at Adobe MAX in Miami cater specifically to Mac and MacBook users — especially creative professionals. PD2730S and PD3226G, part of BenQ’s DesignVue PD series, promise to deliver exceptional color accuracy and performance for designers, illustrators and content creators.
“BenQ has meticulously gathered feedback from professionals to design monitors that precisely meet their requirements with always accurate and consistent colors,” said Houston Wei, senior director of BenQ North America. “The new PD2730S and PD3226G were designed with both Mac and PC users in mind to provide unparalleled color features with invaluable new software including Display ColorTalk and Palette Master Ultimate.”
Beloved Apple TV+ soccer comedy Ted Lasso begins pre-production on a long-hoped-for fourth season in January in London, according to a Thursday report. This follows recent news about the studio picking up cast members’ options, the first concrete clue that Ted Lasso season four might actually happen.
Apple TV+ ended the hit show after three seasons. But if Ted Lasso season four production starts as expected, it’s time to believe again! Fans eager to know more about the Ted Lasso platform and its future can check out Apple’s confirmation of season 4.
UPDATE: The Film & Television Industry Alliance confirmed via scheduling information that Ted Lasso shoots for season four will indeed start taking place in both London and Los Angeles in January 2025. A Mastodon post from the original leaker points to the confirmation.
These days, all sort of people need a microphone in their Mac computer setup — podcasters, streamers, gamers, videoconferencers or anyone recording pretty much anything. The list goes on. Today’s featured M1 Pro MacBook pro user, a video editor, relies on the Maono PD200X dynamic microphone, which packs both XLR and USB modes, to keep his vocal work clear.
Early benchmark tests for the recently announced iPad mini 7 show it’s around 30% faster than its predecessor, and perhaps a bit more. This is a detail that might help anyone wavering on the new tablet make up their mind.
The same tests indicate that iPad has 8GB of RAM — an expected increase.
Designer Basic Apple Guy, purveyor of fine wallpapers for your devices, found a way to blow up a bunch of tiny background shots of Apple Park in Cupertino into fine wallpapers for Mac and iPad displays. The background shots are included in macOS Sequoia for small-scale uses in apps like FaceTime and Photo Booth, so they had to be majorly upscaled. BAG dropped the wallpaper versions online Thursday for your downloading pleasure (see below).
One of the highlights of the iPhone 16 is its longer runtime. However, numerous owners of Apple’s latest iPhones are reporting significant battery drain issues.
Most users report “horrible standby battery life,” with their iPhones losing most of their charge when idle.
Popular young movie stars Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy star alongside Sigourney Weaver in the upcoming thriller film The Gorge on Apple TV+, the streamer revealed Thursday. It noted the film, which has no firm release date yet, will get promoted along with season 2 of hit series Severance at pop culture festival CCXP24 in early December.
“They’re not keeping you out. They’re keeping them in,” reads the tagline for the Apple Original Film. And in bigger news for fans of the mind-bending workplace drama series, Apple noted Severance returns with its second season January 17 (for those who don’t already know).
Apple TV+ reportedly renewed its comedy/drama Shrinking for season three on Thursday, continuing the teamup between Jason Segel and Harrison Ford.
Season two is streaming now. And with the new announcement, fans can enjoy it without any worries it’ll end with a cliffhanger that never gets resolved.
When the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban took control of Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2021, it stripped women of their right even to go outside without a chaperone. So when a woman surreptitiously taping herself says “the situation is dire” in the Bread & Roses documentary trailer, which Apple TV+ dropped Thursday, it seems like an understatement. A heavily armed force stripped even their most basic rights.
The Apple Original Films documentary film, which follows three women fighting to reclaim their lives, premieres November 22 on Apple TV+. Watch the trailer below.
As of Wednesday, Chief People Officer Carol Surface leaves Apple, the latest in a string of executives to do so. And she’s going after an unusually short two years of service for a top executive, according to a new report.
Other executive departures and role shifts include like Luca Maestri stepping down as CFO and longtime engineering exec Dan Riccio retiring.
PayPal debit card users will be able to see their PayPal balance in Apple Wallet starting in 2025.
Plus a new Tap to Provision feature lets users add a credit or debit card to Apple Wallet by simply tapping an eligible card to the back of their iPhone.
These are among a number of features that are new or coming soon to Apple Pay.
Apple gave the iPad mini a surprise refresh with faster internals and other minor upgrades. The highlight is Apple Intelligence support, bringing Apple’s AI suite of tools to its smallest iPad.
So, should you ditch your iPad mini 6 for these upgrades? Or hold on to it for another year or two? Find out in our iPad mini 7 vs. iPad mini 6 comparison.
The FTC is making it easier to cancel subscriptions. Its new “click to cancel” rule requires companies to make canceling a subscription as easy as the signup process.
Currently, canceling a subscription often requires multiple steps, with some companies making customers jump through unnecessary hoops.